The colonial and revolutionary history of Haverhill : a centennial oration : delivered before the city government and the citizens of Haverhill, July 4, 1876

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"tJ^iyCd

T

CENTENNIAL

ORATION,

HAVERHILL, JULY 4, 1876.

(J

THE

COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY

HISTORY OF HAVERHILL.

^ CElSTTEXISriAL

ORATION,

DELIVERED BEFORE THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND
THE CITIZENS OF HAVERHILL,

JULY 4, 1876.

/
BY JOHN CROWELL, M. D.

HAVERHILL :
GAZETTE PRINT, EXCHANGE BUILDING, WATER ST.

1877. • •

ORA^TIOiSr.

Mr. Mayor and Fellow Citizens:

Two hundred and thirty-six 3-ears ago a little
band of men came from the neighboring towns of
Ipswich and Newbury and settled in this pleasant
valley of Pentueket. From the banks of the
Merrimack to the Canada line stretched the prim-
eval forest, unbroken, save where the frail villa-
ges of the red man dotted the intervales or nestled
along the shores of the lakes.

Under the sanction of Governor Winthrop, and
having received a deed of the vast tract of land
from the Indians, these intrepid men began their
work of clearing the forest, erecting their rude
dwellings, and preparing the land for cultivation.

The limits of the township originally included
most of the territory now forming the townships
of Salem, Atkinson, Ilampstead and Plaistow, N.
H., and Methuen, Mass.

In 1642 the deed of the town was given to John
Ward, Robert Clements, Tristram Coffin, Hugh
Sheratt and William White, by the chiefs Passli-
quo and Saggahew in consideration of the sum of
three pounds and ten shillings. The plantation
received the act of incorporation in 1645.

With these small but honorable beginnings our
fathers commenced the foundation work ''upon
which the children have so nobly built. The
casual student of history may ask— " What im-
pelled the early settlers of New England to come
to this uninviting region and engage in the rou^h

4

work l)eture them? No o;enial climate allured
them hither, nor did the hope of gain tempt them
with its glittering prize as in the case of the
Spanish adventurers."

But a more careful study of history will show
us, that they were impelled by the same spirit,
modified by Christianit3% that sent the Angles and
Saxons from their Jutland home to infuse their
bold freedom into the faltering souls of the timid
Britons. It partook of the elements that sent
Norman William over from France to implant a
new civilization amono- the AnHo-Saxon race. It
was the aggressive sjDirit that scorns the narrow
limits of traditionary systems, and bounds into a
freer atmosphere, developing new sources of
strength and enterjDrise. It was the spirit of
liberty, that rises above the limitations of thought
or action prescribed by tyrant rule or priestly
sway. It was the simplicity of truth asserting
itself amid the dogmas of bigots, and the tradi-
tions of an aristocratic j^ower.

THE MEETING-HOUSE.

Men actuated by this spirit do not look back ;
they push on, and, with increasing strength they
overcome the most formidable obstacles. And so
these few men did not fail, and with a sublime
faith they built by the side of their log cabins a rude
structure for the worship of God, and they recog-
nized the Divine Presence in every stage of their
enterprise. This first meeting-house was erected
in 1648 upon the site now occupied by the Pen-
tucket cemetery. It was twenty-six feet in length
by twenty in width, with neither porch, cupola or

5

o-allerv. In the absence of a bell, Richard Lit-
tlehale was ordered to beat the drum on the Lord's
day 'morning, and on lecture days, for which he
was to have annuall}' the sum of thirty shillings.
Littlehale's drum was afterwards substituted by
Abraham Tyler's horn, which was ordered "to
be blown in the most convenient place every
Lord's day about half an hour before meeting be-
gins, and also on lecture days, for which he is to
have one peck of corn of every family for the
year ensuing." The blowing of the horn was of
short duration and our fathers soon returned to
the more dignified call of the drum. The pews
of this little meeting-house were rude benches,
and for the protection of the women from the
savage attacks, the men occupied seats nearest
the door, ready to resist the barbarous foe ; and
this custom of placing the women in the further
end of the pew has been handed down to us, al-
thouo;h a rio-id adherence to the order is fast be-
coming obsolete. Rev. John Ward was the godly
man who took charge of this little flock, and for
flfty years he was their faithful leader, teacher,
counsellor, and spiritual guide. His colleague
and successor. Rev. Benjamin Rolfe, says of him
in his ordination sermon : " These four years past
have been the happiest and most profitable of my
whole life. I have had the counsel of wisdom
and experience, the admonitions of a father and
friend, and an example constantly before me of
undissembled virtue, ardent piet}' and burning
zeal."
Mr. Ward came from the town of Haverhill,

o

Essex County, England, and the name of Haver-
hill was given to this town in honor of the first
minister, who did so much for its growth and
prosperity.

He died in 1093 at the ripe old age of eighty-
eight years, having preached his last sermon only
a few weeks previous. His remains were interred
in the old cemetery, and a handsome marble shaft
has been recently erected to his memory by his
descendants in the Saltonstall family. His will
opens with these characteristic words : " O Lord,
into Thy hand I commit my spirit."' " (Jredo lan-
gmda,Ji(h sed tamenjide.''^

In the course of years the little meeting-house
became insufficient for the accommodation of the
increasing population, and in the year 1666 we
find that John Hutchins was employed " to build
a gallery at ye west end of ye meeting-house, and
to take an}^ of ye inhabitants of ye town to join
him, providing he give nottise to ye town wheth-
er he will or noe at y^ next training day, so that
any of ye inhabitants of ye town that hath a mind
to joyne with him may give in their naimes."
This primitive structure served its purjDose well
for many years, when, near the close of the cen-
tury the town became agitated upon the question
of a new meeting-house, and so great was the
controversy as to the style, size and location of
the proposed edifice, that several years were
spent in the quarrel between the contending par-
ties, and there was much bitter wrano-ling-at town
meetings before the matter was peaceably decid-
.ed. This second meeting-house, situated at the

7 '

head of the common, was a comely structure, two
stories in height, with tower and steeple, and
turret for a bell .

But a new trouble arose as to the method of
disposing of the people in the pews, and so a
committee was chosen, Nov. 20, 1699, to "place
or seat the people in the new meeting-house, that
they may know where to sit, and not disorderly
crowd upon one another, and be uncivil in the
time of God^'s worshii)." And to make justice
more evident another committee was chosen to
seat the seating committee, " so that there may
be no grumbhng at them for picking for and
placing themselves." Let us in imagination join
the sturdy worshippers at this new temple on the
morning of the Lord's day. We must set out
early, for a heavy fine is the penalty for being
late, and one equally heavy will be imposed for
riding fast to meeting. It is nine o'clock, and,
passing the whipping post and stocks with a ner-
vous shudder, we enter the house by the eastern
porch. But the pews are filled by greater digni-
taries, and so we take a seat on a rude bench
near the door. We must be careful to preserve
the gravest decorum, for the grim tithinginan has
an eye upon us, ready to detect the slightest de-
viation from his ideal of good behavior in time of
service. And now comes a solemn hush, as the
sexton is seen escorting the minister up the grav-
elled path. He takes him with becoming dignity
through the open double door, up the main aisle,
and graciously leads him to the pulpit stairs.
The pastor, dressed in well-fitting small clothes,

8

black silk stockings, and bright, shining shoe
buckles; with Avell -powdered wig hanging in
massive rolls over his shoulders, looks benignant-
ly upon his people. After prayer a psalm in
metre is given out, and dictated line by line by
the deacon to the nasal music of the congrega-
tion. Then follows the "long" prayer, occupy-
ino- from a half an hour to an hour, durino- which
time we all stand leaning ui3on the backs of the
pews. And then comes the sermon, wading
through the mysteries of the fifteenthly and six-
teenthly, with a zeal that never falters.

Then, with the solemn order of precedence, the
magistrates and brief gentlemen walk up tirst to
the deacons' seat and dej^osit their contributions,
followed by the elders, and last of all by the
" common people.'' After the benediction we
remain standing until the good minister passes
down the aisle, bowino; and smilino; at us as he
moves along. These simple services, with the
brief intermission of an hour, occuf)y from six
to eight hours. It is now near sunset, and we
jog home on saddle or pillion, to pass the evening
in reciting the catechism to grandfather, who,
with exacting severity, tones us uj) to the ortho-
dox standard.

The second meeting-house soon became insufS-
cient to accommodate the growing population of
the town, and so in 1708 we find thirteen young
ladies petitioning for permission to build a pew
in the " hind seat in the east end of the meeting-
house," and the i^etition was granted, " provided
said pew does not damnify or hinder the light."

And in 1720 four persons presented the following
petition, " Whereas your petitioners having their
habitations so distant from the meeting-house,
that, at any time being belated, we cannot get
into any seat, but are obliged to sit squeezed on
the stairs where we cannot hear the minister, and
so get little good by his preaching, though we
endeavor to ever so much ; and there being a
vacant place betwixt the front pew, over the pew
on the side gallery over the head of the stairs,
we humbly request liberty to erect a seat over the
same." Showing a disposition to attend Divine
service under difficulties worthy of imitation in
these enlightened days.

THE TOWN MEETING.

Not only did our fathers provide for their spir-
itual wants, but they also established that model
of a pure democracy —the town meeting. Here
they deliberated upon those measures which were
considered to be for the best interest of the town ;
and the right of suffrage in local matters was
granted to all. But when a magistrate was to be
nominated, or a deputy to General Court to be
chosen, none but " freemen," or those who had
taken an oath of fidelity to the church, were al-
lowed to vote.*

Large powers were vested in the selectmen, but
they were held strictly accountable for the dis-
charge of their duties. They were to direct in
the payment of Mr. Ward^s salary; to collect all

*The first record of a public meeting was in 164i, before
the incorporation of the town. The object of this meeting
was to prevent the unnecessary destruction of timber.—
Chase, p. 56.

10

tines \ to i^ay all debts of the town ; to establish
the rates of taxation : to call town meetino^s at
discretion ; to see that all the laws of the county
were observed ; to act in all prudential affairs of
the town, according to law.

The rigid rules of i^unctualit}' were strictly en-
forced, and every voter who came late to town
meeting was obliged to pay a fine for his delin-
quency. The business of these meetings was
not hastily performed, for the deliberations com-
menced at seven o'clock in the morning, and the
sturdy voice of John Johnson, the Moderator, did
not falter until the adjournment, at sunset. The
meetings often lasted through several days be-
fore the business was all completed. For our
ancestors believed in the right of speech, and each
man enjoyed his prerogative to his heart's content.

Especially did those who paid a great tax claim
the right to speak on every question involving
the grave matter of raising money. And it was
this tenacious defence of individual rights, and
the consciousness of personal responsibility that
gave our ancestors such boldness of utterance,
and prepared them to effectually resist oppression
when the crisis came.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.

As early as the year 1647, it was ordered by
General Court, " that every township in the jur-
isdiction numbering fifty families should establish
and maintain a free school ; and every town con-
taining one hundred families should set up a
grammar school. '^

This was the foundation of that system of free

1 2

schools which is the boast ol" (^ur Commonwealth
to-day. As llaverliill tlid iKjt contain the reciuisite
number ol" lamilies, a public scliool was not estab-
lished until several years after the passage of the
order, and it was not until IGOO that Thomas Wasse
was appointed master, with a salary of ten pounds
a year, lie was to teacli the youn*^ peoph; to read,
write, and ri[)h('r. \V(! next lind Mr. James
Chadwick enga«;ed in the service, for whicii he
was to have " three pounds in corn, besides what
he. shall liave from scholars, parents, or masters,
provided iiis dcnuiuds sliould nt)t exct^etl what i.s
paid in other placivs for seh(H)lin;^, viz: to have
by the week, for a reader, four pence ; and for a
writer, six pence."' Let us hope that this gener-
ous salary was faithfully i)aid to Master Chail-
wiek, and that he did not havr to gather tin; corn
with his own hands. In 171H the town was
'* presented '' for not having a school according
to law, and a Mr. Tufts was accordingly chosen
master at a salary of thirty pounds a year; l)ut
the town was so impoverishc(j l)y tiie war with
the Indians that the court exempted the people
from supporting a grammar school for three
years, and .so Master Tufts was dismissed from
his charge.

In 1711, a i^rammar school was est;iblisheil, and
the selectmen were ordered to hire a niiister who
was to " move quarterly to such i)laces as the
selectmen agree to, as shall be most convenient
for the inhabitants of the town." But thanks to
the spirit of the pedagogue, no one could be
tV)und willing to submit to such a migratory life.

12

So the disagreeable condition was annulled, and
Obadiah Ayer was employed to teach for half
a year, for which he was to receive fifteen pounds,
a generous advance on the salary of poor Chad-
wick.

In after years, at the close of the Indian diffi-
culties, the town began to prosper ; and a cornel}'
schoolhouse was erected at the head of Main
street, and boys were taught, not only the com-
mon rudiments of learning, but were also in-
structed in Latin ; and some of the rules and
regulations adopted for the government of the
school give evidence of the wisdom of our
fathers in the work of education. Among these
reo'ulations, we find the recog-nition of the Divine
o;overnment, the inculcation of reverence for
j^arents and guardians, and the practice of virtue
and patriotism on the part of the children ; the
exercise of a parental government by the teach-
ers, and the importance of self-control in the
infliction of discipline, and the guarded and judi-
cious use of corporeal punishment, in extreme
cases onl}', — a regulation, which many can testify,
was too often forgotten by the imperious dominie.
With these three mighty forces, the meeting
house, the town meeting and the public school,
our ancestors beo;an the foundation work of our
ancient town. Crude and humble indeed were
these appliances, and the work moved slowly,
and oftentimes wearilj^ and sadly, through the
first century of our existence. But amid all the
mistakes of judgment which we find recorded,
the foundations were well laid, and they will re-

^3

main unshaken and undisturbed as Ions: as there
is virtue, and integrity, and a love for the largest
and purest liberty remaining among the children.
Grand old Fathers ! inspire us with devout thank-
fulness for the recognition of the Divine Presence
in all human affairs ; for the inculcation of the
principle that men have an inherent right and
capacity to manage their own local concerns, and
that the diffusion of intelliofence is essential for
the safety and the greatness of a people !

As long as we cherish those fundamental prin-
ciples and hold on to them with a pious tenacity,
so long will our safety be secure. But woe be-
tide us when we let go of the Bible, the suffrage,
and the common school, (rod grant that we may
inherit enough of the stern old Puritan spirit to
retain these safeguards forever !

INDIAN HOSTILITIES.

During the first century of our history the
growth and prosperity of the town were gnnitly
embarrassed by the depredations of the savage
tribes scattered through the vast tract of country
lying between our frontier and the Canada line.
These barbarous hordes, jealous of the ao^o-res-
sions of the white men, and emboldened by the
butcheries of the Deerfield massacre, and the
temporary successes of the King Philii^s war,
swept down upon the defenceless inhabitants with
ruthless treachery, making indiscriminate slaugh-
ter among the men, women and children of the
village. INIany are the tales of woe told by those
who suffered long captivity in the wilds of Can-
ada, and the deeds of heroism are scattered all

^4

over the pages of our early history. The people
were obliged to place the village in a state of
defence ; fortifications were thrown up around
the meeting-house, and garrisons were erected in
different sections of the town, and supplied with
soldiers to be ready for any emergency. Every
man was armed. The laborer in the field had his
gun near at hand, and the Sunday worshipper
carried his loaded weapon to the house of God,
and grasped it while engaged in prayer. The
women and children were filled with consterna-
tion and constant alarm, for the recital of inhu-
man butcheries was always before them. Not
only Haverhill, but the neighboring towns of
Bradford and Andover, (and in fact nearly every
township in the colony,) were made the scene of
bloody warfare, and all the energies of the people
were taxed to suppress and destroy the enemy.

The story of the captivity and subsequent es-
cape of two boys, Isaac Bradley aged fiteen years ,
and Joseph Whittaker aged eleven years, in the
fall of 1695, is full of wild romance, stranger
than any of the stories of modern fiction. The
boys were seized while working in the field, by a
party of Indians, and carried to the shores of Lake
Winnipesaukee, with the exj)ectation of being
taken to Canada and sold in the spring. With
surprising strategy these brave lads managed to
escape while their savage captors were sleeping,
and with a power of endurance remarkable and
persistent they succeeded in reaching home in
nine days, through a trackless forest, marking
their way by the river courses, and subsisting on

^3

the scanty fare of the roots and barks of the wil-
derness. Quite as worthy, these brave boys, of
a niche in our history, as was that more dramatic
and tragic heroine, Hannah Duston, whose story
you all know by heart. Jonathan Haynes and
his four children were also taken captive two days
afterward, and carried to Pennacook, (Concord,
N". II.) After great suffering, the father and two
of the children succeeded in reo^ainino; their lib-
erty. The two boys never returned. Although
^discovered in Canada in after years by an explor-
ing party they preferred to remain in their wild
home.

Inexorable history must record the fact that the
soldiers of these garrisons sometimes showed a
cowardice unworthy their high calling. At one
time the garrison of Joseph Bradley was attacked,
and the sentries- proved unequal to the defence.
The savages pressed into the open door and
wounded the first sentry, when the goodwife who
was making soap seized a brimming ladle of the
boiling liquid and threw it full into the face of
the foremost savage, which caused a hasty retreat
and a cessation of hostilities, for a time at least.

At another time the house of Mr. Swan was at-
tacked, and, as the enemy pressed against the
door, Mr. Swan's courage failed, and, as the sav-
age face showed itself, he gave up in despair.
Not so his intrepid wife, who, equal to the emer-
gency, grasped a long spit and thrust it tinto the
tawny body of the foremost savage, who, not lik-
ing this kind of reception, and uncertain of what

i6

might follow further adventure, lied with his
yelping crew into the wood.

But the most fearful and fatal attack was made
during the French and Lidian war, in 1708, by a
large party, who invaded the town on the morn-
ing of the 29th of August. The village was
wholly unguarded at the time, and the savages
scattered in every direction, killing and burning.
The first house attacked was that of the minister,
Rev. Benjamin Rolfe. This house stood on the
site of the residence of Moses Nichols, Esq. Mr.
Rolfe gallantly defended his home, calling in
vain upon the cowardly soldiers in the chambers
to come to his assistance.

While defending his door from the tremendous
force pressing against it, he received a shot fired
through the oaken panels, and was instantly
killed.* The savages made short work of the
rest of the family, not sparing the timid soldiers.
But two little children of Mr. Rolfe were saved
by the strategy of Hagar, a negro servant, who
hid them under a tub in the cellar, then conceal-
ing herself. The enemy entered the cellar, and
drank milk from the pans, but the children were
not discovered and they escaped with the faithful
Hagar unharmed. In this dreadful attack about
forty persons were killed and taken prisoners.
Mr. Rolfe was buried in the old cemetery, and a
handsome monument of granite has been erected
to his memory. The rude inscriptions on the

♦Another account says that Mr. Rolfe was killed while re-
treating from the back door of his house. Rut judging from
what we know of Mr. Rolfe's courage, he was not the man
to retreat and leave his family to the mercy of the savages.

^7

stones of the other victims are nearly illegible,
waiting for the hand of some pitying "Old Mor-
tality" to decipher the characters hid beneath the
ofatherino- lichens.

The door of Mr. Rolfe's house was for many
years preserved in the porch of the first parish
meeting-house, where the marks of savage vio-
lence could be seen in the deep gaps made by the
hatchets, and in the fatal bullet-holes. When the
old church was demolished this door was careful-
ly removed to the upper porch of the new edifice,
but it was destroyed by fire when that handsome
structure was consumed in 1847.

After the close of the Indian hostilities the
town began to recover from the depression and
poverty caused by the constant draft upon the re-
sources of the people. The demoralizing eftects
of the war soon disappeared and a better era
dawned upon the town. Business revived, meet-
ing-houses were erected in the several parishes,
and new enterprises were developed. Agricul-
ture flourished, the water courses were utilized
by the erection of mills, a trade with the Indies
was established, ship-building was encouraged,
and wealth and plenty smiled upon the people.
Comely and imposing dwellings were erected,
and the two principal streets were active with
traffic from the neighboring towns. The Bart-
letts'and Bricketts, the Duncans and Saltonstalls,
the Emersons, Marshes, Whites, Ayers and Brad-
leys ; the Appletons and Atwoods and Wain-
wrights, the Cogswells, the Johnsons and the
Corlisses, and many other honored names ap-

3

i8

pear in the history of this ijeriod. ]\Ien who vied
with each other in their eftbrts to advance the in-
terests of the town.

THE FRENCH WAR.

But hardl}" had the town recovered from the
disasters of the contest, when in 1756 another
war between Eng^land and France involved Xew
Eng-Uind in the strug-^le, and Haverliill was
called upon to furnish her quota of men to assist
the mother country. For seven years the town
held itself in readine.-^s to furnish men, and many
are the stories of Ticonderog-a and Crown Point
that have come down to us from the traditions of
the heroes of those famous expeditions.

From the imperfect records of that period we
find the familiar names of our ancestry, and it is
a fact worth}^ of our record that Haverhill was
true to her allegiance to the mother country, and
her wealth and strength were freely given to sus-
tain the prerogative of the Crown.

The successes and defeats, the glory and the
shame of the several campaigns of this war,
from Fort DuQuesne to Louisburg, form an event-
ful page in our early history, but the unwritten
story is fast fading into oblivion.

THE "DISSENTERS."

In 1764: occurred one of those anomalies which
sometimes confront the historian, provoking crit-
icism and censure because of the strange incon-
sistency of the development.

The Rev. Hezekiah Smith, a recent graduate of
Princeton, made a casual visit to Haverhill, and
by his fervid eloquence produced a decided im-

^9

pression upon the more emotional element in the
First Parish, It was soon discovered that Mr.
Smith inculcated certain doctrines at variance
with the "Regular Order," and for fear of dis-
sension the meetino^-house was closed ao-ainst
him. But the " New Lights " rallied round their
talented leader, and founded the First Baptist
church in Haverhill on the 9th of May, 1765.
The formation of this church was a sore trial to
our Puritan ancestors. They had labored for over
a hundred years for a^unity of purpose in every-
thing pertaining to the prosperity and permanent
growth of the town, and they looked upon the
enterprise of these "Dissenters" as disoro-aniz-
ing and destructive in the extreme, and they
resorted to the most rigid measures to suppress
it in its early inception. But the principles of
religious freedom that our fathers had incul-
cated were fundamental, and must prevail. After
many embarrassments, and not a little" persecu-
tion, the " Dissenters " were exempted from tax-
ation in support ol " Regular Order," and in
1774, an act was passed by the General Court,
exempting " Dissenters " of every name from all
taxation to other denominations, provided they
filed a certificate from the proper authorities of
their own denomination certifying that they were
members thereof and paid taxes accordingly.
But these conditions were odious to some, and
frequent difficulties occurred by non-compliance
with them. After many years of contest, the
law was so modified as to allow of no distinction
in the rights and privileges of religious bodies.

20

The Baptists soon erected a meeting--hoiise uijon
the site of the present structure of the original
church, and for forty years Mr. Smith remained
the eloquent and g"odly pastor of the church,
when he was removed by death, January 2i,
1805, at the age of 68 years. And thus our fathers,
in the foundation work of the town, " Builded
better than they knew."

THE REVOLUTION.

In 1765 those incipient causes that led to the
Revolution beg-an to develo]). The ag-g-ressions
of the mother country increased, and the odious
Stamp Act had been passed by Parliament and
forced upon the people of the colonies. Our
fathers believed in loyalty to their sovereig-n, but
they hated oppression, and declared the action of
Parliament unconstitutional. Our representative
in General Court, Col. Saltonstall. was instructed
by the town to express the sentiments of the peo-
ple in the form of a protest against the excise
laws, and to strive by all lawful means for the
repeal of the same. But all remonstrance proved
unavailing, and when Samuel Adams ^^ronounced
his famous jDrotest against the revenue act which
resulted in the dissolution of the Legislature in
1768, the town voted to sustain and commend the
action.* But our fathers did not act with hot haste
in this grave matter of resistance. In the con-
vention held in Faneuil Hall the same year for
deliberation, our Haverhill delegate, Samuel

*This document was drawn up with the greatest care,
and after several davs' debate : " Seven times revised, every
word weighed, every sentence considered," it was adopted
and published to the Avorld as expressing the sentiments of
Massachusetts.— CMse.p 365.

21

Bacheller, was instructed " In every constitution-
al way and manner consistent with our loyalty to
our sovereign, to oppose and prevent the levying
or collecting money from us not granted by our-
selves or our legal Representatives."" But the
calm deliberations of this convention were una-
vailing. The stamped paper must be used, the
tax on tea shall be paid, and the port of Boston
shall remain closed. Ton are all familiar with
the sublime history of this period.

True to her pledges, the town Resolved, July
28, 1774,

" That we will not import, purchase, vend or
consume any East India tea until the duty im-
posed upon importation into the colonies be taken
off and the port of Boston open."

These are the words of men who are in earnest,
willing to do as well as to resolve. And when
on the afternoon of the 19th of April of the fol-
lowing year, the news of the battle of Lexington
reached Haverhill, the little village was all astir
with excitement. That intrepid son of liberty.
Dr. James Brickett, commenced the work of rais-
ing minute men, to march at once to the scene of
action, and before night one hundred and five
Haverhill men (almost one-half of the entire
military force of the town) under the command
of Capt. Jas. Sawyer were on the march to Cam-
bridge. Thus promptly did our patriot fathers
respond, notwithstanding that three days previous
the business portion of Main street had been de-
stroyed by fire in which seventeen buildings were

22

consumed, including some of the largest stores
in town.

Not only did Haverhill bring honor to our his-
tory by this ready response, but she also shared
in that romantic adventure Avhich Longfellow has
immortalized in heroic verse — " The ride of Paul
Revere.'" It was William Baker, a Haverhill
man, twenty years of age, who first carried the
news of the intention of the British to march on
Concord, to our forces in Charlestown. Baker
was at work in a distillery in Boston, situated on
what is now Portland street. The British sol-
diers were in the habit of visiting this distilleiy,
and by accident the intention to march on Con-
cord was disclosed in some convivial conversation
of the soldiers on one of these visits, on the eve-
ning of the 18th of April, and Baker was dele-
gated to carr}' the news to Warren, by passing
the British lines. This he accomplished by con-
summate strateg3^ and as Warren was absent
from home, he carried the news to Adjutant
Devens, who had Dea. Larkin's fast horse ready
for Paul Revere when he

" Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore."
The signal lights were shown from the old North
steeple —

"One, if by land, and two, if by sea."
The watchful hero " sj)rings to his saddle," and
the ride of Paul Revere passes into history.

The battle of Bunker Hill soon followed, and
of the thousand men sent to throw up the re-
doubt, Haverhill had fifty-two. And in the gen-
eral enofao^ment on the 17tli of June the number

23

of our patriot sons was seventy-four. Dr. Brick-
ett, (also Col.), was very active during the en-
gagement, and while standing near Gen . Putn am,
a shot from one of the shijDs struck the plank
upon which they were standing, wounding Brick-
ett in the foot, and so disabling him that he was
taken to the other side ot the hill. But nothino:
daunted, he at once used his skill as surgeon in
attending to the wounded as they were brought
in from the scene of action. Noble patriot that
. lie was ! serving throughout the war, and amid
many personal sacrifices rising to the rank of
Brigadier General. He lived to close an honora-
ble career in his native town in the practice of
his profess ion wliich he so much adorned.

Among those who responded to the call for
men was Capt. Nehemiah Emerson. When the
news from Lexington reached Haverhill he was
assisting in extinguishing a fire upon the roof of
a house then standing opposite this City Hall.
He at once determined to march to the scene of
action. He joined the minute-men, and through-
out the whole Revolutionary struggle he returned
home only once. He was complimented by
Washington as "a brave oflficer, a good disciplin-
arian, and one who never lost his temper."

And now came the grave question of the Dec-
laration of Independence. It was a bold step to
take, and it was not taken hastily. In town
meeting, June 25, 1776, the town voted "That if
the honorable Congress, for the safety of the
United Colonies, should declare themselves inde-
pendent of the kingdom of Great Britain, this

24

town do engage with their lives and foitimes to
support them in the measure." One hundred
years ago this sacred, solemn hour, the Conti-
nental Congi-ess was considering the momentous
question, freighted with the destiny of a nation.
We can imagine that assembly of grave, earnest
men, as they group around the table in Independ-
ence Hall, to sign the Magna Charta, for which
they stood ready to endure any sacrifice. There
sits Hancock in stately dignity, presiding over
the great transaction ; there the youthful Jeffer-
son, presenting the immortal Instrument which
he had framed ; near him stand the orreat advo-
cates and defenders, John and Samuel Adams ;
there, too, serene in his old age, we behold the
patriot philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, and
there, "wearing his weight of learning like a
crown," the scholar and scientist, Benjamin Rush,
and the other worthies whose names have passed
into history. O, that with i^rophetic vision they
could have looked down through the century to
see the mighty generations that stand up to-day
to bless them, and to behold the greatness of the
people to whom they gave a country ! And as
to-day, in the fair city of Brotherly Love, the na-
tions of the earth assemble to witness the results
of this deed, may the spirit of devout thankful-
ness mingle with our rejoicing.

It is only needful to say that during that long
and painful struggle Haverhill did not falter, but,
amid poverty and embarrassment, she furnished
her full quota of men, and bore her full share of
the cost. The pledges solemnly made in town

^5

meeting were sacredly kept, and "lives and for-
tunes '' were freely offered in the long and bloody
strife. In the darkest days there were hopeful
hearts, and many a noble lesson was taught by
the self-sacrificing devotion of woman. When
the troops were suffering during that dreadful
winter at Valley Forge, the women of Haverhill
were busy in making garments and bedding, and
hundreds of articles were forwarded to the camps
of our soldiers during the war. We have the
. record of five hundred and twenty-four garments
and a hundred pairs of shoes furnished by our
people, besides large stores of provisions and
contributions of money. The taxes of the town
bore heavily upon the people, but individuals
were found willing to loan money. The town's
proportion of the tax laid by Congress, March 8,
1779, was thirty-eight thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six pounds ; and in ten days after, Congress
laid another tax, of which the town's proportion
was thirty-nine thousand two hundred pounds.
Of course these sums were in the depreciated
continental currency, but large sums nevertheless
for the people to furnish In September the
town was called upon to furnish sixteen thousand
eight hundred pounds of beef, and they promptly
chose a committee to purchase it. And the next
year, 1780, the call was made tor thirty-two thou-
sand two hundred and fifty-six pounds, and hardly
had this been collected when they were called
upon for thirteen thousand three hundred and
fourteen pounds more. These were all raised
and forwarded before the coming on of winter.

4

26

With such zeal and such sacrifice did our fathers
fulfill their recorded pledges. And was not this
spirit transmitted to the children, when in our
later and terrible struggle to maintain the unity
of our government, their noble, patriot sons an-
swered to the roll-call, and marched to the music
of Union and Liberty !

AFTER THE REVOLUTION,

But the long, dark days of the war were fading
aw^ay, and the successes of our arms, under the
inspiring aid of our French allies, gave new life
to the colonists, and, at the final surrender of
Cornwallis, a thrill of joy pervaded the whole
people. Crippled in their energies, and embar-
rassed with debt and poverty, our fathers at once
commenced the work of restoring their broken
fortunes. The business that had o^one to ruin
began to revive under the persistent energy of
the Anglo-Saxon spirit, and trade was inviteil to
Haverhill from the distant towns of Xew Hamp-
shire. That indomitable merchant, John White,
soon opened a trade with the Indies, while Benja-
min Willis, James Duncan, and Isaac Osgood
pushed their business far into the country, send-
ing their goods in heavily laden ox teams.

Agriculture began to flourish, and many fine
orchards were planted in various parts of the
town. The new State Constitution had been rat-
ified by the j^eople, after much deliberation and
many amendments. Our delegate to the conven-
tion that framed this important document was
Gen. James Brickett, whose wisdom and prudence

2J

gave character to the town he represented. Oar
first representative to the General Court under
the new Constitution was Hon. Bailey Bartlett,
who did honor to every high trust committed to
him. He was also the first State Senator sent
from Haverhill, and he afterwards (1797,) repre-
sented this district in Congress— the first citizen
of Haverhill who had received that high distinc-
tion. This noble son of Haverhill was subse-
quently appointed High Sheriff of Essex county,
receiving his commission from the hands of Gov.
Hancock in person, who stated that this was the
only nomination made during his administration
that had met with the unanimous approval of the
Council. This commission he held forty years,
when he was gathered to his fathers, full of years
and the honors of a noble life.

Soon after the close of the war, a young man,
fresh with the laurels of the Revolutionary strug-
gle, came to Haverhill 'and commenced business
in a humble way in a small shop in the basement
of a wooden building on Water street. By pru-
dence, economy, and an intuitive capacity for
trade, he gradually increased his stock of goods,
and after a few years of continued success he
built a block of stores — still standing — on Main
street, and filled the same with goods of every
description, and the name of David How became
known throughout New England, and his charac-
ter as a first-class country merchant was firmly
established. Not only did Mr. How give great
impetus to trade, but in later years he turned his
attention to agriculture, and through his extend-

28

ed operations large tracts of waste land were
brought under a high state of cultivation. Many
of the fine old orchards that cover our graceful
hill-slopes were planted under his direction.

Mr. How was truly a representative man — a
noble example of ISTew England character of the
best type. He took part in the engagement at
Bunker Hill, and was always enthusiastic when
questioned as to the relative positions of Putnam
and Prescott in that fiimous action. "If it had
not been for Prescott,"' said he, "there would
have been no fig^ht. He was all night and all the
morning inspiring the soldiers with his encourag-
ing words in such a way that they felt like tight.
To him belono^s the honor of command in that
eng'ao^ement.'"

But time would fail us in enumerating all the
names that gave character to this period of our
history. We might speak of Israel Bartlett, a
son of the Revolution, who tilled ihany high
offices of trust ; of Xathaniel Marsh, who was a
delegate to the convention called to ratify the
federal Constitution ; of Leonard White, who
represented us in Congress, and who was after-
wards— 1814 — cashier of the tirst bank ; of that
ingenious mechanic. Col. Blodgett, who contrived
an apparatus for raising the British ship-of-the-
line, the " Royal George,'' but who was looked
upon by our English cousins as a Yankee enthu-
siast. By every possible means the strong ele-
ments of character inherited from their ancestry
were developed, and the blessings of a free Con-
stitution began to be felt and enjoyed.

2g

The little villao^e, stretched alonor the river
bank and nestled under the sunny slope, gradu-
ally gave evidence of comfort, peace, and plenty.
The comely spires of the two churches added to
the picturesque scene ; the little schoolhouse
showed its frail turret at the head of the common ;
the ship-yards bristled with oaken skeletons upon
the stocks; the parishes increased in population,
and small villages were gathered in the extreme
limits of the town. The village fostered its harm-
less aristocracy, and the gentleman, the magis-
trate, and the minister, in the conventional small
clothes and cocked hat, received the salutations
of the humbler citizens with lofty urbanity.

The school children grouped themselves by the
wayside, and respectfully greeted the dignitaries
as they passed by ; and when the ministerentered
the school to catechize the children, they all stood
in respectful silence until the honored visitor was
seated. The good wife and her daughter spun the
flax and the wool, and wove them into fabrics, or,
with cunning fingers, wrought the sampler and
the fanciful screen. The comely maiden dressed
in scanty brocade, with dainty, high-heeled, satin
slippers, walked through the intricacies of the
stately minuet, with her prim partner arrayed in
silk coat and waistcoat and well-fitting: stockinofs.
Now and then a primitive chaise would rumble
by with a wealthy occupant, but oftener the good
dame would ride on horseback to church, seated
on a pillion behind her lord and master. A be-
coming dignity, and not a little formal ceremony,
marked the social relations of the people, and

30

deference to authority and position was the rule
of action amons: all classes.

Sometimes the order of precedence was carried
to a ludicrous excess, and much deferential bow-
ing and obsequious compliment were bestowed
upon trivial matters which would seem childish
in our time, when republican principles are so
thoroughly diffused among the people.

At this period the houses of the wealthier classes
begin to make considerable pretensions to ele-
gance. Long flights of steps lead to the Greek
portico. The massive door, adorned with huge
brass knocker, opens into the stately hall, with
its handsome staircase mounting with low steps
to the chambers. The oaken floors show a highly
polished surface, and oftentimes fanciful decora-
tions in paint. The heavy furniture stands in
stift' array against the wainscoted wall, and mas-
sive mirrors reflect the glories of the best room.
The hospitable sideboard glitters with glass and
silver, and the cold joint is ready for the casual
visitor.

The more humble dwellings present an air of
comfort and thrift and healthful plenty, refreshing
to behold. The great kitchen with " nicely sand-
ed floor " is ample for every welcome guest.
Pewter platters glitter in comely array upon the
dressers ; the family china is daintily preserved
in the buftet in the corner; the huge fireiDlace
sends out a ruddy glow, while plenty of good
cheer awaits the hungry and thirsty neighbor and
wayfarer.

If we enter the little schoolhouse at the head of

3^

the common, we find the boys primly seated upon
rude forms arranged against the wall, while the
older pupils sit behind primitive desks, upon
which are scattered Webster's Third Part, the
Columbian Orator, and Pike's Arithmetic. The
master, perched in stately dignity upon his
leather-seated throne, is writing copies, stopping
now and then to put a finer nib on the point of
his goose-quill, and giving occasionally an offi-
cial rap with his oaken ruler, as some delinquent
wight, forgetful of his task, falls into day-dream-
ing, or tries the edge of his new jacknife upon
the pine bench before him.

Simplicity, frugality, contentment, were the
elements that made up the sum of daily life.

"O luxury ! thou curst b}^ Heaven's decree,
ill excl
thee ! "

How ill exchanged are things like these for

THE VISIT OF WASHINGTON.

The visit of Washington, the first President of
the United States, to Haverhill, in November,
1780, was the occasion of universal welcome and
rejoicing. Washington was making a brief tour
through New England, and Haverhill coveted the
honor of a visit ; and great were the preparations
made by the people for his reception. The pres-
idential party entered the village from the north,
on Wednesday, Nov. 4th, at about 3 o'clock in
the afternoon, and a large cavalcade gave escort
to the august visitor, marching down Main street,
and halting at the "Mason's Arms," Harrod's

32

tavern, a brown old building standing on the site
of this City Hall. In this tavern, Washington
passed the night. —

"When the Father of his Country
Through this northland riding came,

And the roofs were starred with banners.
And the steeples rang acclaim,

When each war- scarred Continental,
Leaving smithy, mill, and farm.

Waved his rusty sword in welcome.
And shot off his old kinor's-arm.

Slowly passed that august Presence,
Down the thronged and shouting street ;

Village girls, as white as angels,
Scattering flowers around his feet."

During his brief stav in Haverhill, Washington
made a tour of inspection through the village,
visiting the duck factory of Colonel Blodgett,
which w^as at that time a great curiosity. He
also called upon John White and Bailey Bartlett,
both of whom were personal friends.

It is said that he was greatly charmed with the
scenery of the Merrimack valley, and that he
specially praised the lovely situation of our vil-
lage. Our own poet, Whittier, whose words we
have just quoted, has charmingly described this
scene in his matchless verse : —

"Mid-way, where the plane-tree's shadow

Deepest fell, his rein he drew ;
On his stately head, uncovered,

Cool and soft the west wind blew ;

33

"And he stood up in his stirrups,

Looking up and looking down
On the hills of Gold and Silver,

Rimming round the little town, —

"On the river, full of sunshine.

To the lap of greenest vales.
Winding down from wooded headlands,

Willow-skirted, white with sails, —

"And he said, the landscape sweeping

Slowly with his ungloved hand,
'I have seen no prospect fairer

In this goodly Eastern land.'

"Then the bugles of his escort

Stirred to life the cavalcade ;
And that head, so bare and stately.

Vanished down the depths of shade."

On the following morning, Washington was to
cross the river at the old ferry way. Crowds had
gathered on the grassy slope to witness his de-
parture ; the river was filled with small boats,
and the fishing-smacks dipped their scanty flags
as the chief approached the river shore. Now
came the sublime moment, as Washino-ton stood
in the slowly receding boat, waving his chapeau
to the assembled people on the amphitheatre be-
fore him. Enthusiasm could be suppressed no
longer, and a spontaneous shout arose upon the
morning air.

This noisy demonstration did not meet the ap-
proval of that grand old soldier, Gen. Brickett,

34

who conducted the ceremonies ; and, wavino* his
battle-sword before the peoiDle, he bade them
cease their clamor, "Look at him, but insult him
not with vulgar noise," he said ; and so in silence,
grand and complete, the stately form receded
from view.*

THE EARLY OBSERVANCE OF THE DAY WE CELE-
BRATE.

The glowing words of John Adams in the
Continental Congress in regard to the observance
of the "day we celebrate" did not seem to in-
spire our ffithers with special enthusiasm, for we
find no record of any jDublic observance of the
day, until 1802, when a company of gentlemen
celebrated the anniversary by a dinner at Brad-
ley's tavern, followed by patriotic toasts. This
was before the day of reporters, and so those el-
oquent words are lost forever. But in 1821, the
town joined in a more imposing display ; consist-
ing of music, a procession, an oration, a dinner,
with a grand display of fireworks in the evening.
We read in the Haverhill Gazette of that date,
that "the procession formed at Mason's Hall, on
Water street, and marched to Rev. Mr. Dodge's
meeting-house, where the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was read by James Duncan, Esq., and
an oration delivered by James H. Duncan, Esq.,
after which the procession re-formed and marched
to Kendall's Hotel, where a bountiful dinner was
disposed of, followed by patriotic toasts.

In the evening there was a brilliant display of

*Relatecl to the writer, many years since, by an eye-wit-
ness of the scene.

35

fireworks in front of the meeting-hoiise, in the
following order : —

PART 1st.

Rockets, A wheel. A shower of rockets.
Cupid's escape from the hornet's nest.

PART 2nd.

A wheel. Rockets. A wheel. Shower of
rockets. Cupid's escaj^e from a hornet's, nest."

OUR LATE.{ HISTORY.

During the first half of the present century the
growth of this town in wealth and i^opulation
was very slow. The country trade, the river
navigation, and the establishment of the Eastern
Stage Company furnished sources of industry
which were developed by the frugal inhabitants.
Gradually the manufacture of shoes, commenced
about fifty years ago, increased in importance,
and thousands of cases were carried yearly to
Boston on "baggage wagons" by Rufus Slocomb,
before the opening of the Boston & Maine rail-
road .

The last (Quarter of a century has seen this
great industry assume a magnitude that has
added wealth and prosperity and greatness to our
city, placing us third in rank in the country in
the amount of goods manufactured. Our church-
es, our schools, our charities,* have kept pace

*Tlie Children's Aid Society, for homeless children, was
established in 1872.

The Old Ladies Home Association, for indigent old ladies,
was opened in 1876.

The Benevolent Society, for the relief of the worthy poor ,
was established in 1817.

J*

6

with our material i^rosiDerity, and we point with
just and honest pride to-day to these results of a
slow, patient, healthy growth.

Many of the sons of Haverhill have not for-
gotten the place of their birth, nor their indebt-
edness for the opportunities furnished them in their
progress to success. And we rejoice to-day in
the beneficence of one of her sons that has opened
to us the sources of intelligence that shall be per-
petuated through the generations to come.f

Sons of Haverhill, wherever 3'ou are at this
hour — scattered up and down the earth, enofao-ed
in the great enterprises that open before us — in the
halls of legislation, in the world of letters, in the
pulpit, at the bar, in the school or the workshop,
— rejoice with us in the goodly record sjDread out
before us, of the deeds of the Mhers who laid
these foundations upon which we so fearlessly
build !

And our fellow-citizens, sons of Maine, New
Hampshire, and the neighboring towns of our
own Commonwealth, attracted hither by our pros-
perity, adding to our wealth and influence, and
receiving in return the benefits of our free insti-
tutions, we welcome you to this heritage so richly
transmitted to us by our fathers.

And we welcome all* of whatever name and na-
tion, who come among us to share in our indus-
tries, and to assist in the maintenance of law and
order and public integrity.

tThe Haverhill Public Library, founded by the munifi-
cence of Hon. E. J. M. Hale, with the co-operation of the
citizens, was opened to the public in 1875.

57

And permit me to .congratulate you, Mr. Mayor,
that it has fallen to your lot to fill the highest
place in the gift of your native city, in this cen-
tennial year. May the era of reform, as seen in
the great temperance movement, and so emphat-
ically endosred by your administration, continue as
long: as there remains a love for virtue, and hon-
or, and righteousness, among the inhabitants of
our ancient and beloved Haverhill.

OUR FUTURE.

The monarchies of the Old World condemn
Republics because of their lack of reverence, and
their ingratitude to those who have shaped their
history ; and to this defect in character they pre-
dict our ultimate disintegration. There may be
much of truth in this charge. We have no dim
past, winding down through the centuries to in-
spire the imagination with tradition and romantic
story. We cannot show the ruins of feudal cas-
tles, nor can we boast of the sublime results of
mediaeval architecture. We have no thrones to
revere, nor any noble lines of royalty to insj)lre us
with awe.

But in lack of these proud themes of the histo-
rian, have we not a noble ancestry of sturdy men
and true ? Have we not the record of firm loyal-
ty to principle, and the establishment of a gov-
ernment upon the basis of virtue, intelligence and
a recognition of individual right, and individual
responsibility ? These we receive from the foun-
ders of the nation, and is not the gift of sufiicient ex-
cellence to inspire our devout reverence and grat-

or,/

38

itiicle ? But with the tremendous responsibility of
•'universal suffrage'' comes the corresponding obli-
gation of extending universal intelligence. It is
our province to take up this burden, and to give
no quarter until, throughout the length and the
breadth of the land, the blessings of common
school instruction shall be enjoyed by all. God
grant, that, when the • ext centennial shall usher
in its great anniversary, the mighty generations
may rise up, and with united and devout hearts
be able to exclaim, "See this goodly land that is
given to us by the noble sacrifice of the Fathers ! "